TULSA, Okla. — Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters spoke at a press conference titled Tulsa Kids First on Monday, saying Tulsa Public Schools lacks seriousness and has failures in multiple departments.
Walters began the conference by saying he wanted to stop the misinformation and clear up confusion over the TPS's downfalls during the seven-year leadership of Superintendent Deborah Gist.
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Walters described Gist's leadership using an analogy, saying TPS is a bus that Gist is driving — veering off the road into a tree. He echoed himself in calls of mismanagement using graphs and charts that stood beside him. Those charts detailed the performance levels of TPS students against state-wide data.
Walters said 65% of Oklahoma schools are on the F list, with 42% of those being TPS.
“We cannot condemn TPS students to another year in a failing district. No action is absolutely not an option,” Walters said.
He addressed Tulsa's Board of Education, saying he hopes they take the appropriate steps to create change within TPS. He said Tulsa children deserve better than what is being provided at the schools.
Walters said he will look at all school districts equally to improve Oklahoma education.
"We are going to hold every district in the state accountable to perform for their kids," Walters said. "The reality is that Tulsa is uniquely bad in student outcomes. They are uniquely bad in their accountability around finances. We are seeing the case, and again, over seven years of leadership from a superintendent, and the last five years especially the trajectory has been terrible.”
Walters said he wants to help better reading levels across Oklahoma, improve financial transparency, and better Oklahoma education statistics.
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The press conference did not clearly address the status of TPS's accreditation but Walters did say that it would be moved on in the next board meeting on Aug. 24 — seven days after the start of school.
Tulsa Public Schools also hosted a board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday.
In a press release sent 45 minutes before Walters's remarks, Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Deborah Gist wrote:
I believe in transparency and oversight. I believe in the power of a locally-elected school board. I also believe that a single late accreditation report and an isolated, self-reported embezzlement incident should not cause the Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education to lose local control over the future of our school district. And I believe in the power and wisdom of Tulsans to determine the learning conditions and experiences of Tulsa’s students and educators.
During this tumultuous time, I am remaining focused and grounded by my belief in our teachers and our students; and I continue to work diligently with and for the best outcomes for our TPS families.
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